The Latest: Police encountered past odd behavior by teacher

The Latest: Police encountered past odd behavior by teacher

Mar. 01, 2018

DALTON, Ga. (AP) — The Latest on shots fired at high school in Georgia. (all times local):

10:50 p.m.

Police in the town where a Georgia teacher is accused of firing a gunshot in a high school classroom say they encountered him twice before exhibiting odd behavior.

Dalton police said in a 2016 report that teacher Jesse Randal Davidson walked into the police department and told a rambling story suggesting a murder might have occurred. But police said they weren't able to verify any of the information. They said Davidson was taken to a hospital "based on him thinking about hurting himself."

Police said in another report last year that officers found Davidson during a school day sitting on a street curb, unresponsive and being held up by two school employees. He was again taken to a hospital.

Within hours after a teacher fired a gun at a Georgia high school, students took to social media to call for more gun control and deride calls to arm more educators.

Dalton High School student Nathangel Lopez was still huddled in a locker room Wednesday, fearing for his life, when he tweeted at the NRA and President Donald Trump that student cries for gun control are being ignored.

Lopez said he has seen the momentum built by survivors of the Feb. 14 Parkland, Florida, shooting that left 17 dead and he hopes to push it forward.

Junior Chondi Chastain said the idea of arming teachers is absurd. In a post that was retweeted 15,000 times within hours, she wrote, "I dare you to tell me arming teachers will make us safe." She said she's hoping to bring about real change.

Police say the teacher was taken into custody after a standoff and no student was in the room when the shot was fired.

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5 p.m.

A Georgia teacher accused of firing a gun inside his high school classroom is facing six charges, including aggravated assault involving a gun and terroristic threats and acts.

The only injury from the shooting occurred when a student hurt her ankle running during the evacuation of the school.

Whitfield County Jail records show that 53-year-old Jesse Randal Davidson also faces charges of carrying a weapon in a school safety zone and reckless conduct, among others.

The jail records do not indicate whether he has an attorney.

Dalton police say the social studies teacher at Dalton High School was taken into custody after a 30- to 45-minute standoff with officers. He's also the play-by-play announcer for the Dalton High Catamounts football team.

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3 p.m.

A mother says she was terrified as her daughter texted her while hiding inside her darkened classroom as police responded to reports of gunfire inside a Georgia high school.

Annmarie Jacobs says her daughter Emma texted that her teacher had turned the lights off and told the students to sit in a corner.

Then, in an act that brought home the danger of the situation, her daughter texted, "omg she's putting desk in front of the door."

Jacobs said she was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from Dalton High School and driving through Tennessee when she got the texts, and pulled over on the roadside, shaking.

Dalton police said 53-year-old Jesse Davidson, a social studies teacher at Dalton High School, was taken into custody after a 30- to 45-minute standoff with police.

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2:40 p.m.

Police say a teacher who fired a gun inside a Georgia classroom taught social studies and was the play-by-play announcer for the high school's football team.

Dalton police tweeted that 53-year-old Jesse Davidson has been taken into custody after a 30- to 45-minute standoff with police. Authorities say he was inside a locked classroom with no students present when he apparently fired a handgun.

Police have not said why he fired the gun. The only injury reported was a student who hurt their ankle running during the evacuation of Dalton High School.

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2:20 p.m.

Police say a "threatening" note was found last week at a Georgia high school that was the scene of a teacher firing a gun inside a classroom.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the note was related to the shooting Wednesday at Dalton High School. Police in Georgia say a teacher apparently fired a handgun Wednesday and barricaded himself in the classroom for about 30 minutes before he was taken into custody.

No students were inside the classroom at the time.

Police say the note was found Feb. 21, and mentioned a threat against the school the following day.

Assistant Police Chief Cliff Cason said in a statement at the time that officers planned an increased presence at the city's schools in response to the note.

Dalton is about 90 miles (145 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.

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2 p.m.

Police in Georgia say a teacher apparently fired a gun inside a classroom and barricaded himself there for about 30 minutes before he was taken into custody.

WRCB reports that no students were inside the classroom at the time. Police spokesman Bruce Frazier says that the teacher apparently did not want to involve students. He says authorities have recovered a handgun.

A student apparently injured their ankle while running inside the school during the evacuation Wednesday.

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1:40 p.m.

Police say one student has suffered an ankle injury after shots were reportedly fired at a high school in Georgia.

Police in Dalton tweeted that the student apparently injured their ankle while running inside the school during the evacuation Wednesday. Police say a teacher is in custody.

The student was treated by the EMS at the school.

Police spokesman Bruce Frazier says the scene is secure.

The incident happened two weeks after a school shooting in Florida left 17 students and faculty dead and put the country on edge.

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1 p.m.

Police in Georgia say officers have responded to reports of shots fired at a high school and a teacher who may have been barricaded in a classroom is in custody.

Police in Dalton tweeted that no children were hurt or were in danger. Police spokesman Bruce Frazier tells The Associated Press that the scene is secure. Police are not immediately saying what happened inside the school.

Police say the school has been evacuated and students have been taken to the Northwest Georgia Center. Police are advising parents to go there to pick them up.